Anyone can ride swoopy.

Give me a slippy off-camber corner and I will soon disprove that 😆

Most things can be "ridden" with modern bikes, but most people I see out riding are not "good" riders – myself included. All enjoying themselves tho' which is the point I s'pose

I clearly don't read much of Hora's stuff on here. I didn't realise he had such a reputation.

Met him. Good Guy. End of.

(and "Yay!" for the little 'un Hora)

I saw UP in 3D…supposedly. Great fun film, but the 3D effect was rubbish. It would have been much better in 2D without the silly glasses. It was so poor that I did wonder if it was just me

The Female of the Species was their biggest hit

steviep, any info you can post on rides in the Lower Churnet? I'm Leek based and haven't done much that way (being from Buxton until 2 years ago)

you need a bouldering mat to climb

😆

very funny

I'll admit to not having read every post on this, so apologies if this has already been said.

Like many of us I have done plenty of cheeky riding, but as someone who also likes to go for a peaceful walk with my little 'uns, it is nice to know I can get on a footpath and be fairly confident I don't have to worry about bikes hurtling towards me from both directions. Using the same reasoning, I like riding at trail centres because – generally – I'm not going to find endless walkers around every corner spoiling my fun.

I've also got scars on both arms from a bit of bailing twine strung across a bridleway. Thankfully there are no accompanying scars on my neck. I'm still wondering if this is relevant to the post 😕

Try a few pairs on. I recommend the ones that fit best and feel most comfortable. They'll get trashed eventually so not sure of the point of spending serious bucks

Any Dylan song you can think of is done better by someone else. Fact

I'd advise anyone thinking of buying a Lumilite light to watch this post for updates.

I ordered a light a few weeks ago. I saw the transaction on my bill/statement but had to ring them to chase them up since nothing had turned up over a week later. The light had not even gone in the post. To be fair the guy was polite and apologetic and the light turned up the next day.

I took the light out in the snowy darkness and was on the whole impressed, but the connection between the battery and the light was not right and would come undone when riding. Not good.

I rang the 0870 number on their website and after leaving a couple of messages with people who don't even seem to work for Lumilite, the main guy did eventually call me back. Another week or so has passed at this stage. Again he was polite and apologetic and restored my faith when he offered to send out a new unit with a postage-paid envelope to return the faulty one.

Another week had passed and still no replacement and no communication. The 0870 number is not even being answered and I'm left with a light that is not up to the job.

I positively encourage the entrepreneurial spirit and I have nothing against someone importing something (the DX light) and selling it on at a profit. That's how the global economy works, right? However, compared with the service levels offered by CRC, Merlin, Wiggle et al this is not good enough.

I have restrained from making this post without giving Lumilite a fair chance, but make up your own mind. I hope there is a happy ending to this.
🙁

Bear in mind that the front hub has 2 bearings in and I think the Pro 2 has 5 (no doubt someone will be along to correct me). At £5 a bearing – give or take – that's £35 straight away. £10 for the support tool as well. The question is how much do you (a) value your time (b) enjoy fettling?

FWIW I find the rather brutal nature of whacking bearings in and out a bit disconcerting. I prefer the rather more delicate cup and cone approach 😀
The support tool does make it easier though, especially the longer drive side one (they come in a pair). I find a suitably sized socket better for drifting the bearings in since you can see more easily if the bearing is going in straight or not

I think if it is bent anywhere it will be on the thinner diameter part of the hub which is a bit difficult to check. A new axle is £12 or so; I reckon I might just give that a shot. Cheers

sorry chaps I can't join you on this one. Me and the kiddies will be watching the missus hurtle around in a rally car near Loughborough

No. I take it as given that stuff posted first class comes next day. I don't always expect mail order retailers to be so prompt tho'
🙂

'tis an easy enough soldering job – would be quicker than returning to China.

I bought it in the UK but I'm definitely not getting the soldering kit out for something that should be correct in the first place

defo a duffer. The charger connects nice and snug, but the outer diameter of the battery female part and the light male part are the same, so no way the sleeve is going over 🙁

Mmm, my theory is that it is perhaps too tight so that I can't get the male part inside the female. It connects enough to make the light work, but once I get on the rocky stuff it shakes loose.

ho hum, looks like a return. This is why I hate mail order. Glad I bought it in the UK tho'

My thoughts too. I've never "got" why bleed kits exist. I have Shimano brakes and Hope brakes and I've never had any issues bleeding with some cheap plastic tubing, syringes from a friendly chemist and an old bottle to catch the fluid. I'm normally one for the right tool for the job, but in this case don't bother

I'd much rather pay you to dredge my polluted local canal with your teeth or something

I might even open my wallet for that 😆

At the end of the day the question has to be asked – is the OP doing this because he wants to raise money for the charity and sees this as the best way of raising lots for them or because he wants to have a jolly and this is the only way he can afford to do it.

Not sure why this question has to be asked or is even relevant, but I guess that's why I'm with timbercombe on this one 🙂

(The answer of course is both)

I assume he doesn't expect to have his costs covered?

No, but other than time (a lot of) and a bit of petrol, there are limited costs to him. If he had to fly out to Kenya to organise this event he wouldn't want to be out of pocket though. Standing on a street with a bucket collects money that ALL goes to the RNLI. Organising any fundraising event has costs and I think a lot of people are being unfair to timbercombe here. With the arguments being put forward, countless charity events would never raise any money. Timbercombe has made a donation to this charity and is giving up his own time to raise even more. If he gets the trip of a lifetime out of it as well then good for him. Better he is doing that than paying for this trip completely out of his own pocket and raising no money, 'cos I'm guessing for most people that kind of thing is simply too expensive.

It might just be me, but surely the reason to raise money isn't to get an experience but to help others in need?

Why does everything have to be so one dimensional? Every year my old man works bloomin' hard to organises a family fun day and raft race to raise money for the RNLI. He doesn't make as much profit to go to the RNLI as simply standing in the street collecting, but a lot of people get a lot of enjoyment out of the event AND the RNLI benefit. What is wrong with that?

Timbercombe, good luck to you. I'm jealous. I would love to do something like this but I'll remember not to ask on here for donations 😆

pubs need to compete with a decent USP, and not on the assumption that people will go just because it's there.

well said

Smoking ban and pubs serving food = ace!
Now I have little kiddies, going to the pub is a rare thing indeed ( I agree with Crikey there). The chances I do get to go are with the kids, where we can have a walk beforehand, a couple of pints and some food. Some of the big chain food pubs are rammed with families at the weekend.

so what's a good one that doesn't bend so much?

I used to live in Buxton and used to pop in from time to time. I have often found them surly and disinterested until you can persuade them you do in fact know what you are talking about. I have had the impression in recent years that the shop is definitely secondary to the online business, but never had the need to order from them online.

Look, a 20lb hardtail is going to be pretty rubbish if you like to go downhill hard and fast on technical terrain. Conversely a 40lb freeride rig will be poo if you like to pedal on anything with an uphill gradient. However, if you're not sacrificing the ability of the bike by going lighter, then it is a no brainer: Lighter = better (but also more expensive)

Has anyone mentioned "light, cheap, strong; pick two" yet?

they are just rammed full of folk trying to get pissed as quickly as possible, as cheaply as possible

I don't think that is anything remotely new, it's just that we all have video phones and CCTV now so are more aware of it

I'm paraphrasing PeterPoddy here, but seriously, what does a pub offer to people these days that they can't get elsewhere? There are so many activities competing for our attention

(b) Everyone who used to be down the pub is now out riding around on bikes in the dark with absurdly bright lights having been terrified by the health police and the chancellor into giving up beer.

😆

maybe the pubs aren't as entertaining for the "kids" as meeting online and playing soul-less games. I've heard the pubs blame cheap booze at supermarkets and the smoking ban, but maybe there's simply nothing appealing about a pub to the youngsters. Me, personally, I love them and I do find it sad that many are closing, but maybe if some pubs modelled themselves on cyber-cafes they might start getting some new punters who then might learn how to socialise in the flesh. Something's got to lure them in. Just a thought…

In the interest of balance, these kind of things are not all bad. If it gets people fund-raising who otherwise wouldn't – because they will get their own personal bit of enjoyment out of it – then great. We're not all 100% altruistic.

That said, I'm just tight and jealous

I'm fairly rubbish at stuff like this but I managed using one of those kits referred to above. I had to saw a hole in the back of the cupboard under the sink to get to the water pipe and I had to buy a BIG drill bit. The only problem I had was that the push fit elbow to connect the pipes didn't seal quite right. No explanation, but bought another one from a builder's merchant for a quid or so and bob was indeed my uncle.

no doubt someone was racing penny farthings against 3 mates 100 years ago; I bet tailwhips are easier on them

'm guessing it developed from skiers racing done MTB 4x courses in them there alps…..?

I thought MTB 4X was relatively new. I was racing mates down (boarder) cross tracks on my skis more than 10 years ago. I was rubbish

Eh? Can't see how that tool can do anything to a HT II cup.

As I think you mentioned, a disposable liner makes life dead easy – just tip the solids/liner straight down the loo, then nappy in bucket. When the bucket's full just bung 'em in the washer – what could be simpler?

disposables. Fact

Never got into a routine with re-usables, despite wanting to do our bit for the environment. Tried and failed

Can I strongly recommend that when ever you (LBS, Dealer etc) sells a bike you sell it with a spare mech. hanger.

very good point. If (some) bike shops have lots of hanger stock then this is a no-brainer. Up-sell, shift stock and (hopefully) impress the customer with your fore-sight

translating this question into "expensive frame and cheap groupset or cheaper frame and more expensive groupset" and the answer is EASY. Get the more expensive frame. Derailleurs will get bent, chainrings will break, but your frame should last and last

is this turning into a geophysical argument?